BlackBerry is back at bat with Android, with reports that the phonemaker is making three new - and possibly last - smartphones over the course of this year.
Unlike the Blackberry Priv - the company's first Android-powered handset - the upcoming Google-powered phones could offer a wider range of prices for the wallet-conscious, according to Phandroid.
While the handsets have yet to be formally announced, VentureBeat reports three codenames for the projects - Neon, Argon, and Mercury.
Two Noble Gases, a Transistion Metal and a Pizza Place
Due out this summer, the BlackBerry Neon is said to sport 3GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, a 5.2 inch display, touchscreen keyboard, and a more consumer-friendly price.
Next, the BlackBerry Argon is set to launch this October with a 5.5 inch display, 32GB of storage, 4GB or RAM, and a fingerprint scanner - a welcome feature for BlackBerry's key demographic of government workers and industry executives handling sensitive information.
Finally, due out in Q1 of 2017, the BlackBerry Mercury will be the only one of the three Android models equipped with a classic, clickety physical keyboard. The Mercury is also expected to house 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, and a juicy 3400mAh battery - another eye-catcher for those aforementioned executive types.
Following the poor sales of the Priv, attributed in part to its steep price, BlackBerry says 2016 will be a make-or-break year, with the Neon, Argon, and Mercury possibly being the last smartphones put out by the company if they don't turn a profit - so no pressure or anything.
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